Romance

Dear Diary;

It's me again. Things have changed quite a lot since I last made and entry here. First of all, I'm now Mrs. Deanna Patience. Well, I suppose it's a big change from being Miss Deanna Patience, I guess. More on that later.

Brian and I had been riding in the limo for hours when it suddenly stopped in front of a house. It was still in the desert, and Brian said "We're here."

We got out of the limo (was I glad we had that blanket), and as I did, Brian said to me, "Welcome home, Deanna." This house is ours? I couldn't believe it. Somehow he'd managed to buy us a house and have it furnished while we were in the limo making.... uh... making wedding plans. Still no eraser on this pen...

Anyway, Brian waved off the driver, and the limo pulled away. I guess we didn't need it; since there were two Hunka 711s in the driveway! One red, and one pink? "Brian," I said, "not that I object to a little display of wealth after what we've been through, but why do you need TWO cars?"

"I don't, my love," he said with a smile. He pointed to the pink car. "This one is yours." I remember clasping both hands over my hands over my mouth in surprise... I don't even remember being taught how to drive! I'd also forgotten I needed my hands to keep the blanket in place, so I kinda dropped it. No one here but Brian, so it really didn't matter.

We spent the next few days pretty much getting used to the house and this town. Apparently this town we've settled in is named Strangetown. It's a small town in the middle of the desert, but still close enough to Brian's... uh, workplace. We went clothes shopping nearby... this town is small, but it seems to have everything we need.

Brian had been a little grumpy at the beginning... he kept looking at the walls in our bedroom muttering about weatherproofing and roofs. Planning our wedding and honeymoon cheered him up though... well that, and the painting he's been doing. The one he's hung up in our living room is kind strange looking though.

He had good news for me, not two days after we moved in here. Apparently he and Lord Thomas' people had come to an agreement. Jen has become a full employee of his "cult"; sworn to absolute secrecy, in exchange for a hearty paycheck. When he told me the amount, I told him for that kind of money, I'd keep my mouth shut too.

One day before he had to leave for "work", he told me to expect a surprise visitor that evening. He hoped to be home in time to see the visitor too, but when he saw I was a tiny bit nervous, he gave me a hug and said "Don't worry my love. You'll smile when you see them."
He was right! Just after 8 that night, Tammy showed up! I couldn't believe it, and ran out of the house to greet her before she could even ring the doorbell! She was really happy to see me too, and I wasted no time hustling her to the dinner table. I'd discovered I really like to cook, so it was lucky of her to get here just when I'd made a plate of salmon. I could tell just from looking at her that she was off the medication, too. Like me, she'd kept the surname of Patience. Apparently, the paperwork needed to change your surname without a wedding makes it not worth the trouble.
Over dinner, I asked her where she'd been; wasn't she... sent by the Creator? And what of Carrie, Anne, Leslie and the others? Brian had told me he'd had the asylum we were in closed, but where were they now? She said it was complicated to explain, but what she COULD tell me was that she and Sandy had been "assigned" to take care of Carrie, Anne and Leslie... who had moved to a new outpatient clinic right here in Strangetown! Not only is it in this town, I can literally see it from our front yard! I'll have to visit them as soon as we get back from our honeymoon, I told her.

"Yes, Brian told us about the wedding. He didn't think you'd mind, but he wanted me to tell you he's invited them to the wedding."

"Mind? I'd insist on you all being here! Uh.... how's Anne and the whole 'fire' tendency of hers?" This made Tammy laugh. She said they haven't had to change the battery in the smoke detectors yet.

I'm skipping ahead a bit to the wedding. True to his word, he'd invited all our friends from the PRC! The only other guest was Warren from Sue's Hidden Kitchen... we'd become acquainted from that cooking contest I entered, and won, with that "Comfort Soup" recipe I'd learned!
It was a very simple wedding, being in the middle of the desert, but I loved it. I'd have married my Brian in that dusty old rec room in the asylum if we'd had to. The party was quite the Roof Raiser, once Brian had the bubble blower put up, and served the food. No risk of Anne cooking! One thing I should have done, though... was leave my new cell phone somewhere else besides my pocket. I was just shocked there was room for a cell phone AND me in this dress...

After the wedding party was over, and I'd said good bye to our friends, a taxi showed up and whisked us away for our honeymoon! I'd never been on a plane before (I don't think), so I was a bit nervous until we touched down on Twikkii Island. We stopped at a small shop to buy tropical clothes, then returned to our bungalow to check in.
....and check out a few other things too.

Bye for now, Diary! I'll catch up with you in a few days, I hope!